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School district seeks broad landscaping reductions for new K–8 campus citing safety; city staff recommends denial
Summary
Lee County School District requested four landscaping deviations for a new K–8 school, arguing that SREF and CPTED safety standards require reduced interior plantings and wider tree spacing; Cape Coral planning staff recommended denial, saying the magnitude of reductions would harm community appearance and the developer provided insufficient evidence that full relief was necessary.
The hearing examiner heard competing arguments over four requested landscaping deviations for a new K–8 campus (Hector K. Caffretta Jr. K–8) near NW 20th Avenue. The Lee County School District sought reductions in required canopy trees, elimination of foundation and parking‑area landscaping, and reduced buffers along rights‑of‑way. City staff recommended denying the requests.
Jason White, a professional engineer for Exceptional Engineering representing the school district, said the requests stem from safety and visibility requirements contained in the State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF) and Florida Safe School Design guidance. "We separated the trees by 40 feet and not the standard 20 to give more visualization for the cameras and also law enforcement as well, and the teachers," White testified, arguing that denser planting would create hiding places and reduce natural surveillance.
David Martinez, a zone security manager and CPTED practitioner who works for the school district, testified the campus design prioritizes unobstructed sight lines for staff, cameras and first responders and warned that heavy interior planting could create maintenance and surveillance challenges.
School board attorney Robert Doty said the district faces fiscal constraints and cited an estimated cost of approximately $1,057,644 to meet the city's planting requirements; construction director Scott Rickenbacker testified the school development budget totals about $110 million and that landscaping in this project is budgeted at about $230,000 separate from the million‑dollar figure the city estimated for full compliance.
Patrick White, principal planner for the city, reviewed the four deviations and staff’s analysis under LDC §5.5.20 and related sections. Staff found site constraints absent and considerable flexibility to meet landscaping requirements, including use of larger specimens and tree credits, modest administrative reductions, and placement options for foundation landscaping. Staff concluded the magnitude of the requested deviations (including roughly a 91% reduction of total trees and complete relief from foundation and parking‑area landscaping) would negatively affect community appearance and would be contrary to protecting public health, safety and welfare. "Given the number of deviations requested, the magnitude of requests, staff has determined that this would have a negative effect on the community appearance," Patrick White said.
A few members of the public and the school board expressed support for the district’s safety arguments; the hearing examiner said she would take the record under advisement and issue a decision after reviewing materials and the video.
